My best friend and I started a small landscaping business last spring. I'm the one doing quotes, client calls, scheduling, and most of the physical work. He shows up late, leaves early, and spends more time on his phone than with a shovel. I don't want to blow up the friendship, but I'm starting to resent him. Anyone been here? What did you do?
Partnerships
What happens when one friend works harder than the other?
I've been the slacker friend in a band before. It didn't end well. You need to talk numbers, not feelings. Write down hours and what each of you brought in. Then ask him what he thinks is fair.
Friends and business. Classic. Next you'll tell me you bought a boat together.
My cousin and I ran a food truck. Same situation. I gave him a month to step up after a serious conversation. He didn't, so I bought him out. We're still close, but it was rough for a while. The key was having the conversation early, before the resentment got too deep.
Also, are you splitting profits 50/50? Because that's the first thing to change. Pay yoursselves hourly or by job, not by ownership percentage.
Yeah, 50/50. I know that's part of the problem. I guess I was hoping he'd just naturally pull his weight.
Narrator: He did not.
That hope is the friendship killer. You can't expect people to change without a reason. Right now his reason is zero.
Honestly, if he's on his phone all day, maybe he's not that into landscaping. Have you asked if he actually wants to do this?
He says he loves it, but I think he loves the idea of it. And the paycheck.
Been lurking but had to chime in. I was the hard worker in a two-person cleaning company. I eventually wrote a list of everything I did in a week and showed it to my partner. He was shocked. Not because he was lazy, but because he genuinely didn't realize how much behind-the-scenes stuff I was handling. Maybe your friend is clueless, not lazy. Worth a shot before you write him off.
That's a faivr point. Sometimes people are just blind to the invisible work. But if you show him and he still doesn't change, you have your answer.
And whatever you do, get it in writing. Even if it's just an email recap of what you agreed on. Friends forget. Paper doesn't.
Or just quit and start your own thing. I hear landscapers are in high demand tbh.